I nursed my DS until he was 3.5. I am still nursing DD who recently turned 2. This past week, seemingly out of the blue, DS has started to ask to nurse again. Always at night and always while I'm nursing DD. I gently explain to him that he is a big kid now and doesn't nurse any more, and I give him cuddles and offer to let him rub my bare skin for comfort. Every night he is getting more and more insistent. Last night he was pulling my breast from my shirt, practically in tears telling me if I don't nurse him that means I don't love him. :-( It was difficult because I was starting to get angry but I didn't want to push him away when he so obviously needed comfort.
I understand where this behavior is coming from. He has started school, has become increasingly jealous of DD, and has had trouble adjusting to DH being out of town on several trips recently. I try to be as gentle, understanding, and loving as possible.
Shortly after I weaned him he asked to nurse and I let him, but he only pretended for a minute then laughed and ran off. Now that he's older I am not comfortable with letting him try or pretend (silly pretend, yes. mouth on breast pretend, no).
Has anyone else been through this? What did you do? I continue to seek out ways that he and I can be physically close for him to feel comfort but I'm not sure how to handle the continued requests to nurse.
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